MQM, opposition lodge protest against Karachi power crisis

ISLAMABAD: The parliamentarians from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the opposition parties on Tuesday lodged protest in and outside the Parliament House against electricity crisis in Karachi.

The MQM senators and members of the National Assembly staged sit-in outside the parliament and raised issue of electricity load-shedding in Karachi, inside the National Assembly.

It was the Private Members Day on Tuesday with 101 points on order of the day, but the parliamentarians consumed most of the time in exchange of allegations with regard to electricity crisis in Karachi. The House, however, okayed an amendment to rules of the National Assembly which envisages reading out a Hadith after recitation from the Holy Quran.

As the MQM parliamentarians carrying placards were staging sit-in outside the Parliament House, one of their colleagues Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani turned up in the House to raise the issue on a point of order. He demanded that Minister for Power Omar Ayub ensure resolution of issues relating to the K-Electric. Federal Ministers Asad Umar, Omar Ayub and Shafqat Mahmood also turned up at the sit-in of the MQM parliamentarians and assured resolving the issue of the electricity crisis in Karachi.

Speaking on the occasion, Asad Umar said Karachi would be provided 550-MW electricity before the advent of the next summer while by the year 2023, the Sindh capital would get 2150-MW electricity. "We are increasing electricity supply to Karachi by 70 per cent," he said and added it was the PTI which filed a petition in the Supreme Court to make Karachi local government and its mayor resolve Karachi's issues.

Omar Ayub said the K-Electric was provided 4000 tons of furnace oil on a daily basis, adding that Karachi was also getting gas supply more than its requirements. "The federal government feels its responsibility, but the K-Electric should also fulfill its commitment," he said.

Taking the floor, Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda reminded the opposition parties that the K-Electric contract was signed by the PPP government while it was the PML-N government which appointed the incumbent managing director of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL). He said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari talked about Arif Naqvi of Abraaj with regard to the K-Electric. “It was the PPP government which facilitated the K-Electric and did not seek bank guarantees from the company,” he said. Vawda put up a challenge to the opposition’s expert to sit with the PTI government’s economic team for 30 days to find out as to who was responsible for the present state of country’s economy.

PPP Parliamentarian Syed Naveed Qamar said the owner of the Abraaj Group himself had stated he supported the PTI’s 2013 and 2018 general elections campaign. He demanded that the chair refer the matter to the committee concerned of the House. He said he would talk about facts that electricity would be expensive if fuel is available on higher tariffs, adding that there is a lot of difference in prices of gas and furnace oil.

Taking the floor next, PML-N’s Khurram Dastgir questioned as to where the government spent over Rs 14,000 billion loans. He said the PML-N government spent loans on Zarb-e-Azb, generation of 12,000-MW electricity and projects like Katchi Canal and Lowari tunnel.

Minister for Power Omar Ayub in his response said Khurram Dastgir should talk about facts, adding that loans burden which was Rs 7,000 billion in 2007 increased to Rs 14,000 billion with end of the PPP tenure. He said the loan was further enhanced to Rs 30,000 billion by the PML-N government.

Minister for Communications Murad Saeed said the PTI government paid back Rs 5,000 billion loans, adding that the stock market made rapid progress and ranking of Pakistan’s passport also improved by six places.

Riaz Fatyana regretted that instead of executing legislative business and focusing on 101-point order of the day, the parliamentarians were raising those points which could be addressed at press conferences. PPP’s Abdul Qadar Patel said he belongs to Karachi where electricity load-shedding had become the biggest problem which could invite wrath of the masses.